Electric-lamp socket.



PATENTED JUIS ZBO, 1907.

R. B. BENJAMIN. ELEOTRIU LAMP SOCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No- 861,9 11. I PATENTED JULY30,1907. I R. B. BENJAMIN.

ELEGTRIG LAMP SOGKET. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14. 1904.

3 SHEETS-$11331 2- No. 861,941. PATENTED JULY a0, 1907.

' R. B. BENJAMIN,

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET. APPLIOAIION FILED ULY 14. 1904.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

' map- 1;.

p 2, t0 accommodate the contact plate 10, secured in posi- REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, "its;

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF OHlOA nors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

NOIS, hSSlGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC GO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- ELECTRIC-LAMP sooxn'r.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed July 14,1904. Serial No. 216,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented newand useful Improvements in Electric-Lamp Sockets, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had'to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. i My invention relates to electric lamp sockets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a lamp socket that will be of simple construction and efficient in use, and that will readily permit a large number of said sockets to be assembled and connected in circuitupon a common support. I i

The other objects and special features of my invention will more fully appear from the accompanying description of the drawings filed herewith, in which like reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures. v

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front plan view of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. '4 is a rear plan view ofmy invention; Fig. 5 is a front plan view of another form of my invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on' the line 6,.6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional view en the line 77 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a rear plan view of my invention; Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the openings for the leading-in wires; Fig. 11 is a partial sectional view of a cluster em- 30 bodying my invention; Fig. 12 is a partial sectional view of my invention adapted for use with another ,form of cluster; and, Fig. 13 is a partial sectional view of another form of cluster embodying: my invention.

' Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive; a cylindrical in sulating base 1, is providedv with a. flange 2, which is preferably elliptical in form, and has a small annular projection'fi formed thereon. The flange 2 is arranged to be secured to a suitable supporting plate 4 by the screws 5 5. This supporting plate 4 may be of any desired form or material, metal, however, beingpreierable, and the annular projection 3 serves to insulate the soket contacts therefrom. A receptacle is formed in the b s-Feel, in which is disposed a lamp receiving shell '6, which is held in position by the screws or bolts 15 7,7, extending through the base ,1, or in any other suitsble'mluner'. One of the screws 7, also secures in position the contact plate 8 which carries a binding screw Qfor securing a. leading-in wire thereto. Aportion of the lamp receiving shell 6 is cut away as shown in Fig.

tlon within said shell by a screw or bolt 11 passing throughthe base 1, or in any other suitable manner.

through which the leading-in wires areadapted to onrear and looped over the projecting fingers 15, 15, and the binding screws 9 and 14 may then be screwed home aperture formed therein to accommodate ithelsupport- "The free -end of the center contact .1a 10 is preferably disposed upon an extended portion 12 of the base 1, whereby the lamp contacts are insulated from each other. The center contact plate 10 also carries asecond binding screw 14 for making connection with a leadingin wire. Formed in the rear wall of the cylindrical portion of the insulating base 1 are apertures 13, 13,

ter. Formed upon the contact plates 8 and 10 are small projections drfingers 15, 15, preferably bent toward the front of the socket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and adapted to engage the leading-in wires, when said wires are inserted through the apertures 13, 13, from the rear of the socket. The walls of the apertures are preferably beveled rearwardly to guide the leadingin wires to the projecting fingersl5, '15. In wiring my improved" socket, the wires may beinserted from the upon-the wires to secure the wires to the plates 8 and 10..

Referring to'Figs, 5 .to 10, inclusive, an annular flange 16 is formed upon the base 1, having an annular recess or groove formed therein adapted to receive a gasket or Washer 17 of rubber or other suitable material which forms a water tight connection between the supporting plate' to which the socket is secured and the annular flange l6. Formed in the sides ofthe cylindrical portion of the base 1 are apertures 19, 19, through which the leading-in wires are adapted to pass for making con-' nectioniwith the binding posts 20, 20, carried by the contact plates 21, 21 disposed within the bottom of the lamp receiving shell 6. The apertures l9 19 have flaring walls as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, adapted to guide the leading-in wires to their respective binding posts, It will be understood that any desired number of sockj ets may be m'ounted upon a continuous support, arid that said sockets may be arranged thereon in any desired manner. Y 5

In Figsflll to 13, inclusive, 1 have illustrated electric lamp clusters embodying my invention. In Fig. lljan outer'casirig 22 is provided, preferably formed from a single piece of metal and having an annular diagonal side wall,;provi ded with a plurality of apertures with which the annulanflanges 3 of the insulating bases I, register. The bases are preferably held inposition therein by the screws 5,5, win any other suitable manner. Centrally disposed upon the casing and suitablysecured thereto, is a support 23, having al screw threaded aperture therein in which is screwed the end of a pipe or conduit 24 for supporting the cluster in po. sition. 3 A casing or cover25, preferably formbd from a single sheet of metal,-and'having a centrallyidisposed ing pipe 24, is adapted to rest upon the casing 22. In

' a central plate which is provided with a screw-threaded aperture for receiving the end'of the supporting pipe or to many different forms of cluster, and is adapted for walls thereof therein and carrying suitable lamp contacts and having a fig. 12 l have shown another form of cluster einbodylug my invention in which the casing or supporting plate has an annular flange 26 formed integral therewith, by which the casing is mounted directly upon the ceiling or other suitable suppdrinby n'ieans of screws 27.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig-r13," the outer casing or supporting plate 22 is provided with two diagonally disposed annular iaces eafch or said faces having a plurality of apertures formed therein, arranged to receive the small annular flanges 3 carj ried by the insulating bases 1, held in position upon the plate 22 by means of the screws 5, 5. The outer casing 22 ispreferably secured to the conduit or-siip port 24, by means of a metal ring 28, secured to said Gas ing by means'of screws (not shown), or in any other suitabl'e manner, and having arms 29 preferably formed integrally therewith and convergingradially toiorm conduit 24. A one piece metal cap or'cover 25 is adapted to rest upon the plate or casing 22.

I have illustrated myinvention with particul'ar reference to theforms of cluster above described, but I wish it to be understood that my invention isapplicable use where a large number of singlesockets aremounted j upon a common supporting plate or base of any desired form, and while I have described my invention with particular reference to the. detailsf'of construction of the sockets shown herein, I am aware that other forms of sockets may be adopted without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do-not wish to limitmyself to said details of construction further thanis do fined in the appended claims. i

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters latent is; a

-1., In a lamp socket, the combination with a one-piece insulating base having a lamp receiving receptacle formed therein and carrying suitable lamp contacts and having a transversely extending attaching flange of comparatively narrow cross-section at the forward end thereof, of bind ing posts in the bottom of said lamp receptacle, the screws of which are iccessible from the. front of the socket, said insulating base having passages extending through. the

in,--the rear of said attachingflange for the entrnnce of the leading-in wires.

2. In a lamp socket, the combination with a one-piece insulating base having a lamp receiving receptacle formed transversely extending attaching flange of comparatively narrow cross-section at i'heforwnrd end thereof, of bind ing posts iii the bottom of said lamp receptacle, the screws of which are accessible from the front of the socket. said insulating base having passages extending through the 3. in a lamp socket. the combination"with a suitablesupport. of f1 lamp receptacle comprising a one-piece 1n- ,sulatingbnse having a lamp receiving receptacle formed ibcreln and. carrying suitable lamp contacts and having a transversely extcndingnttaching llz'inge of cmnparatively narrow crosssection at the forward end thereof. binding posts in the bottom of said lamp receptacle. the screws of I which are'nccessiblc from the front of thesocket. said insulating base having; passages extending through the walls thereof in the rear of said-attaching flangefor the en trance of the leading-in wires, an annular-lip or ridge extendingforwurdly from said attaching flange. "aiulau mn .pular recess in the attaching flung-c exterior to said annul'ar lip or ridge for the reception of a gasket-which forms a tight joint between the support'und the attaching flange.

P4 111 a lamp cluster, the combination with n casing having 1i plurality of concentrically arranged l'ampiopening's.

lotza centml support secured to the bottom of said casing. "and a plurality of one-piece insulating bases-secured to the innecfaceof said casing registering-with;the respective lamp openings, said insulating bases carryir'rg lamp receiving receptacles and associated contacts. and binding screws 1 forengagernent with the leading-inconductors.

5.'In a lamp socket, the combination with an insulating vba'se'lmving a lamp receiving recess formed therein and n flange formed near the front on the outer walls thereof, of

lamp'supportingmeans arranged within said recess. contact plates ai'rangeddn the bottom oi said recess having projecting" fingers over which the leading-in wires may be looped, and binding screws accessible from the front of the socket, carried by said contact plates, sald'base, having openings in therear thereofto permit the leading-in wires to engage the projectingiingers upon thecentoct plates. 6. In a cluster for electric lamps, the combination with a suitable casing having two annular diligonally disposed facesformed therein, and a plurality of apertures 'fol'mcd in said faces, oflnsniatlnglan ip sockets arranged within said casing opposite said apertures.

7. In a cluster for electric lamps, the combination with a suitable easing having annular diagonally disposed faces formed therein, and a. plurality of apertures formed in said faces, of insulatinglajmp sockets arranged within said leasing 5 opposite said apertures, and means secured to .said casing between thedlagonal faces for supporting the same.

, '8. In a cluster for electric lamps, the combinationwith nn lnclosln'g easing or cover,v having annular diagonally disposed faces formed therein and a plurality of apertures formed in saidfaces, of insulating lamp sockets arranged within said casingopposite said openings, a suitable supper-ting plate secured tofrhe bottom of said casing between the diagonal faces thereof, radially converging arms secured to said plate and a suitable support connected with said arms for securing the cluster in position.

In \vitncss'whereef; I have hereunto in the presence of two witnesses. I

' REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. Witnesses C. B. CAMP,

E A. Orjsngx.

subscribed my name 

